Untitled
by AngelLove6392
Summary: The team gains a new ally.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Criminal Minds but my characters and the plot.

Author's Note: Hi guys! It's been a long time since I've posted but I've been kinda busy and kinda contracted a severe case of writer's block. So I couldn't come up with a title for this story, I thought I'd leave it in my readers' capable hands. If you all could please leave some suggestions, I guess we could make it work like a poll and vote for the best title. Thanks guys!

* * *

The children chased each other around the playground, giggling and shrieking delightedly. Kelly's curly pigtails bounced joyfully and shimmered like gold in the sunlight. She was dressed as a little girl should be: overall dress, pink t-shirt, lacy socks and running shoes. The teacher came out from the classroom and stood on the steps, calling the children inside. He stayed in his red truck, his arm propped on the open window. The sweltering heat of the blistering Texas sun was nearly suffocating, but he waited the three hours until the school bell rang. The children poured out of the schoolhouse. Kelly came out last, and he smiled.

* * *

~ F.B.I., Behavioral Analysis Unit

Quantico, Virginia

"Any plans for the night?" Emily Prentiss asked in general. The brunette was in dark blue jeans, a black, cashmere sweater, and black high heel boots. The dark man standing and stretching was in his usual navy blue t-shirt and black jeans while the young man in black-rimmed glasses was wearing khakis, a white button-down shirt, and his trademark sweater vest.

"Nah, I think I'm just gonna go home," Derek Morgan replied, shrugging on his black leather coat. Spencer Reid did the same with his khaki jacket, "Yeah, I think I'll head home, what about you?" Emily tried for a nonchalant look, "Nothing, just wondering." Morgan gave her a disbelieving glance and grinned, "Okay, Prentiss, spill, why're you so antsy today?"

"I am not," Emily denied. Reid watched his two friends banter and genuinely smiled. Their last case had been a long one. He shouldered his book bag and pushed in his chair, turning to leave.

JJ hurried down the hallway and down a few steps.

"Hey guys, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but another case just came up, I didn't get it until we got back."

"You heard her, meeting room, people." David Rossi had emerged from the seclusion of his office and headed to the aforementioned room. JJ stuck her head into Hotch's office to find him on the phone with his son. He held up a hand to signal to quiet her and nodded at the file in her hand to signal her to leave it. She shook her head, "We have a case, Hotch." He nodded, "I'll be there in a minute." JJ left, she understood how hard it was, she was the same way with Henry after all, but she had it easier knowing that Will was watching their son.

"Jack, I promise I'm okay and I'll be home soon, be a good boy and I'll see you then."

"_Okay, I love you, Daddy."_

"I love you too, bud." Hotch waited for the dial tone before he sighed and hung up as well.

JJ got up as Hotch wordlessly sat down and hit the button on the projector controller, pictures of children under the age of 7 and crime scene photos flitted across the scene.

"There's been a string of kidnappings in a number of small towns off Interstate 45, the kidnapper demands ransom and the families pay in full, unmarked cash, nothing traceable. At the drop sites, the kidnapper leaves a DVD, addressed to the family; it's the victim's last words. The children's bodies are found days later. The local sheriff in the most recent town called and officially requested our help, the problem is, there's no airport in the town, so we'll have to drive about an hour."

"DVD of the victim's last words could indicate a sadistic component, or it could a sign of guilt."

"The unsub demands ransom for the victims, but doesn't intend to keep the victims in the first place, he's cold and calculated."

"Wheels up in 6," Hotch commanded, "hours." They all breathed a tired sigh of relief, "Go home and get some rest, we're gonna need it." Their go bags were already at their respective desks seeing as they'd just gotten back from another case not 4 hours ago, but they grabbed them and quickly headed home to switch out their clothes and actually sleep.

* * *

It was dark in the room and the only occupant was in the bed, sleeping soundly. A strange buzzing noise was coming from the nightstand.

She groaned and hazily grabbed for her incessantly ringing phone, "It's 3 in the morning, this better be good."

"_You remember Trent Duvall?"_

"Is this the same Duvall that worked with you before Mom got pregnant?"

"_Good girl, you actually were listening to me. Anyway, he just called; they've got a case."_

"Is this going to be one of those where you guilt me into flying to God knows where because it's 'the one that got away'?" Nobody could blame her for being sarcastic; she was tired and jet-lagged after pulling an all-nighter to get back from Thailand.

"_Not quite, this is more of a favor to a friend. Please?"_

She rubbed at her eyes in an effort to keep herself awake, "Fine, fine, but I'm not dealing with this until I get some sleep." She didn't give him the chance to respond and hung up, turning her phone off and flopping onto her pillow, falling back asleep.

* * *

Hotch carried a sleeping Jack up to the little boy's room, thankful that he hadn't woken up earlier from his grandmother's loud ranting and raving. He knew that Haley's mother hated his guts, had always hated him, but since Haley's death, hating escalated to loathing. If he had a choice, Jessica Brooks and Jack's grandmother would be the last babysitters on earth he'd want for his son, but until he found a more permanent solution that was the way things would have to be done. He tucked Jack in and pulled the comforters to his chin.

Hotch spent the few hours he had asleep in the chair beside Jack's bed.

* * *

JJ got home, ready to turn deaf to the world, she unlocked the front door to her apartment and pushed it open and was greeted by the sight of her dozing fiancé and son on the couch. Henry was wide awake, Will holding him in his lap, "Mama!" Will started awake at the sudden exclamation and calmed when he saw JJ, "Hey."

"Hey yourself, I thought I told you not to wait up for me."

"I wasn't, Henry missed his mama though, he wouldn't sleep." JJ bent to take Henry from Will so he could stand, "Is that right, little man? I missed you guys too."

* * *

Morgan, Emily, and Reid decided to simply spend the night at Emily's place as it was closest and would allow them to obtain maximum rest time. It was also a relief for all of them to have some company. As JJ and Garcia remarked before, some images would haunt them for a while, this last case had reminded them all of some unpleasant times, and if truth be told, none of them really wanted to be alone for the night. The three of them made popcorn and Reid popped in a classic comedy into the DVD player. The three crashed on the couch and passed out not even five minutes into the movie.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and early and the BAU was already buzzing quietly with activity. Hotch's unit was already in, gathered around Reid's desk and sipping coffee. Hotch walked towards his office and paused by the railing to tell them, "Wheels up in 10." They all headed out to the hanger to board the BAU jet and settled in as JJ handed out the case file.

"Baby girl, what else did you find?" Morgan looked through the case file and waited for Garcia to respond.

"_So with JJ's criteria, I narrowed the search and in the past 2 years, there have been over 30 kidnappings across the western border, including the last 2 in Oak Grove, Texas."_

"Thanks, Garcia."

"_Garcia out."_ The computer intercom clicked off and they continued on, "The victimology… there is no victimology aside from their age range, not even sex preference."

"Uh, there is one more thing," JJ added awkwardly, "the last 2 victims all went to the same elementary school." The team looked at her, "Well, the town's population is 710." That explained a lot.

* * *

They landed in Tulane where two unmarked SUVs were waiting for them. Hotch and Rossi took one car while Morgan, Reid, JJ, and Emily took the other. They drove off to the tiny town.

They just hadn't realized how tiny.

When they got to Oak Grove, the sheriff was waiting for them outside the town.

* * *

She resisted the urge to open the window on account of all the dust and turned on the air condition, blaming her father for volunteering her without her consent. She sighed; it wasn't the first time, but it would be the last; she'd told her father as much. Up ahead, she saw 2 women and 4 men, all dressed professionally, and pulled up behind the 2 black SUVs and hopped out, knowing what would come next.

* * *

"Sheriff Duvall, Agent Jareau, we spoke on the phone. This is Special Agent Hotchner, Agent Rossi, Agent Prentiss, Agent Morgan, and Dr. Reid." Duvall solemnly shook hands with JJ and Hotch, "We're a small town here, nothing like this has ever happened before." They turned at the sound of footsteps crunching behind them and found a slight, petite woman coming to a stop.

"If it isn't Faith Lawe," Sheriff Duvall said warmly and in wonder.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Criminal Minds but Faith Lawe and the plot.

Author's Note: Hi people, so again, I'm up for suggestions for the title and would much appreciate if you guys would please leave a review after reading, thanks!

* * *

The woman was rather petite, just above average height at 5'5" with silky, auburn hair she kept tied up in a practical ponytail. Her eyes were a sparkling green that bordered on bright emerald, her lashes thick and dark and her nose straight, she looked as nonthreatening as an average civilian. She was dressed in a black leather jacket over a black blouse, dark, white-wash jeans, and black stiletto boots. She smiled pleasantly, warmly, "Hi, Uncle Trent." Sheriff Duvall chuckled delightedly, "I haven't seen you since you were a baby. How's your daddy doin'?"

"He's doing fine, he's holding down the fort at the firm. Dad sends his greetings and Mom says to stop eating so many donuts and get some exercise." Duvall laughed again, "Agents, Faith Lawe. Faith, Agents Hotchner, Jareau, Reid, Prentiss, Morgan, and Rossi." Hotch wasn't sure he liked where this was going. His wariness must've showed in his expression because Faith Lawe turned to him next with a soft, sincere smile, "Agent." There was a disarming sense of charm about her, but that made Hotch even warier.

"Faith's daddy and I go way back, I asked for his help on the case, Faith is here as a favor to me." Hotch said nothing, he and the others knew that though this was a federal investigation, they needed the full cooperation of the sheriff and the townspeople if they were to get anywhere in the case. They also understood what she hadn't said out loud; folks in a small town didn't like outsiders, they especially didn't like the federal government and were therefore far more likely to talk to a P.I. rather than FBI agents. Lawe kept eye contact and didn't look away, she wasn't being confrontational but she certainly wasn't being submissive. Hotch finally looked away at the sheriff, "She's a civilian involved in a federal case…"

"I'm just here to help, Agent Hotchner, I'm not here to make your job any more difficult than it is. It's your case; I won't do anything against your orders."

Hotch was _not_ happy.

* * *

Jamie ran down the slide, his dirty blond hair jostling with his movements his jeans with holes in the knees. He was careful not spill any of his juice or get any mustard on his shirt because then his mommy would get mad. He kept running up and down the slide because sometimes when he did it just right his sneakers would squeak.

* * *

Rossi wouldn't be the first of law enforcement to distrust a private investigator, but there was something so bluntly honest about Faith Lawe that he was actually inclined to take her word at face value. The others were as well; they all shot glances at Hotch to see what the Unit Chief's final verdict would be. In the end, they split up and he left Faith with JJ to head back to the tiny excuse of a precinct. The two women ended up setting up shop under a large canopy by the woods just off of the sheriff's office. There were only 3 deputies so agents were called in from the closest FBI office for reinforcement as well as state patrol. Faith helped JJ pin the pictures to the white board with the magnets while JJ arranged files. There were no dates on the photos so Faith simply arranged them by sex and then by age within the groups, which was how she usually arranged her own cases. It was when she stood back to look at the board that she noticed something, "Agent Jareau, do you notice anything with the victims?"

"JJ and no, not really, just that there are more little girls than boys."

"Faith. Exactly. I don't know how familiar you are with probability statistics in math, but I remember taking a stats and probability AP class in high school and the one lesson I actually remember is one about coin tosses. Let's put this simply, what are the chances of you landing heads versus landing tails?"

"50-50," JJ answered hesitantly wondering if that was a trick question.

"Right, but if you do the math, you have a higher chance of landing tails than you do heads. I can't remember the exact numbers, but the ratio of boys to girls is about right. Maybe that's why there's no victimology, because he sets his sights on two targets then flips a coin to choose his victim." Faith was deadly earnest, it wasn't even like Reid's thinking-outside-the-box ideas, she was sure.

* * *

He chuckled as he lifted his right hand away from the back of his left to view the shiny penny, "Tails again, hmm…" he chuckled lightly, turning to see Kelly and Jamie heading down two different paths. He eased his truck forward, just beyond the view of the schoolhouse and parked again, getting out with a lollipop in his hand, "Hey, your name is Kelly, right?"

* * *

JJ could only stare, the idea was ludicrous and at the same time the strangeness of it all was the only thing that made sense. Even Reid had been baffled by the lack of pattern in the unsub's campaign, but as he was oft to point out, the human brain was wired to seek out patterns and Faith had found that missing link.

"But how does he pick his targets?"

"It's a small town, it should be safer because everyone knows everyone and strangers stick out like a sore thumb, but the unsub's smart he probably took some time to blend in, insinuate himself into the town and likely has a job that allows him freedom during the day, then he drives to the little schoolhouse and waits. The unsub is a white male in his mid thirties and in pretty good physical condition. He's non-confrontational, quiet and unassuming, very charming, and fairly enigmatic; it's how he gains the children's confidences. He likely drives a red pickup, an older model and uses candy to lure his victims into the cab of his vehicle."

JJ glanced at the other woman: the team hadn't put together an official profile yet and Faith hadn't been on the jet with them.

"Don't look so surprised, I _am_ a certified profiler."

"But you said you were a private investigator, I thought only Quantico offered classes…"

"I am not FBI, but I did take the classes at Quantico, I graduated a couple years before Agent Gideon took over as instructor, as regretful as that was." Faith said no more on the matter and began studying the case files Garcia had sent over.

* * *

Hotch, Emily, and Sheriff Duvall did a lap around town to talk to the victims' families and were met with staunch refusal once they flashed their badges. It took a lot of coaxing and convincing on Sheriff Duvall's part to get the townspeople's cooperation.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I know how hard this is on you, but we need to ask some questions," Emily told the woman gently.

"You don't know anything," the woman replied scathingly. Her eyes dark and red-rimmed and her clothes slightly rumpled, she looked every inch the grieving mother.

"I know that you're in pain, I know that you wouldn't wish this upon anyone else, and I know that this killer won't stop until we catch him." Hotch's firm tone must've gotten through to her because Mrs. Miller finally stepped out of the doorway and onto the porch.

"Molly, did Luke tell you about something unusual, something different, like someone new?" The sheriff asked.

"No, Luke hasn't… everybody knows everybody in this town. My baby boy didn't say anything…"

"Mrs. Miller, I know this is really hard, but did Luke mention anything, anything at all, something that he usually wouldn't care about or be interested in?"

"He said something about a candy man, but Mark owns the only convenience store in town and gives candy to all the youngsters."

"Thank you, ma'am, if you remember anything else, please let us know."

"You get some rest, Molly; we'll catch the bastard yet." Mrs. Miller said nothing else and retreated back into her home.

Hotch and Emily exchanged grave looks.

"He's given himself a name already."

"The Candyman."

* * *

Morgan and Reid had gone to the first crime scene with the first batch of state troopers to arrive while Rossi had been led to the second crime scene by the sheriff's deputies.

"This is outside of town and just over state lines," Morgan observed.

"Why would he do that, there are plenty of backwoods surrounding the town, why would he purposely drive over an hour and bury the body here?"

"He's meticulous, maybe he figured he could throw off the law enforcement if the bodies weren't buried in the same area."

"Or he's challenging authorities, specifically the FBI."

* * *

"I think we're ready for a profile," Hotch said as the rest of the team neared, they'd stopped just outside the sheriff's office. They rounded the office structure to the tent-like command center in the back where JJ and Lawe set up camp.

"Did you find anything?" JJ asked in her customarily quiet voice.

"Nothing much except the unsub introduces himself as the Candyman to his victims." They caught the quick glance JJ threw at Faith Lawe.

"What?"

"You should hear Faith's theory; it makes a lot more sense than what we've come up with thus far." JJ explained, mainly to Hotch.

"What theory?"

"How he chooses his victims."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Faith and the plot.

Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in a long time; I have had SEVERE Writer's Block, I promise the updates will be absolutely regular from chapter 9 to 14 (those are already written) then it's kinda up in the air. I wouldn't mind a few suggestions for the title either. Thanks! Read and Review!

* * *

Even Hotch had to admit that Faith's theory was the only logical explanation to the unsub's inconsistent choice of victims.

"He doesn't live in this town though, he's insinuated himself into the town's activity but it's highly unlikely that he lives here," Reid supplied thoughtfully.

"So the unsub is careful, and smart, smart enough to have not called attention to himself until these last two kidnaps. What made him become careless?" Rossi mused.

"He's bored." They all turned to look at Faith, she stared at the whiteboard impassively, she continued, "He's outwitted the law enforcement in all the other cases, he wants a challenge. He's not just toying with the parents and local police anymore; he's decided to test his skill against the FBI."

Hotch raised his right hand to his chin where his fingers naturally curved about his lower jaw and nodded, "He's become increasingly confident with each of his successes, he's arrogant and ruthless, so that makes the DVDs trophies he uses to taunt the victims' families."

"There's no question that he'll be at the victim's funeral; question is whether he'll be able to resist meeting the parents."

* * *

"He knows the place is crawling with cops, you sure he's gonna come?" Sheriff Duvall leaned inconspicuously towards Rossi.

"It's because we're here that he's guaranteed to show up." Sheriff Duvall still seemed a bit disbelieving, but Faith's reassuring nod from the other end had the Sheriff straightening, resolving to play his part. Rossi again had to wonder about small towns, the type of trust the people had in each other. He would bet his entire fortune that until yesterday, Duvall had never even set eyes on Faith Lawe, and yet, one word from her carried far more weight than an explanation from anyone else. Evidently the trust the sheriff had for his friend extended over to his friend's daughter.

* * *

Hotch mentally sifted through the crowd closest to him when Lawe caught his eye. He followed her line of sight and signaled the others: the unsub was making his way to the front of the procession. He watched the P.I. comb her fingers through her hair and look around inconspicuously as though looking for a familiar face even though he was likely the only one that noticed her target destination never ventured far from the unsub.

"I'm sorry for your loss, such a terrible thing to happen." The grieving parents and those close enough to hear that comment unanimously vocalized their agreement.

"Has there been any progress with the police?" As they predicted, the parents responded with the same answers Faith had subtly coaxed into them yesterday. And as expected, the unsub's mien turned to stone with displeasure.

Faith felt someone at her elbow and turned to see JJ with a worried expression. She followed JJ off to the side, "He took another child." It wasn't a question. JJ nodded, "Garcia just called and told me that a little girl was reported missing last night in the next town over."

"The parents didn't know she was missing until they got home from work." Again, another statement. Again, JJ nodded, "Her parents are divorced and the little girl lives with her mother. They live close enough to the school that Kelly can walk to school and back home when her mother has to work." Faith shot a sharp, assessing glance back at the mingling crowd. JJ could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

"He'll take another child – from this town, if we deny that last night's kidnap had no connections to this investigation."

"What are the chances she'll survive?" JJ didn't like the odds of this gamble.

"Not high," Derek joined them, "but Faith's right, it's the only way to get the unsub. I don't like it either, JJ, but it's all we got."

* * *

The profilers grouped together as JJ held the press conference.

"The little girl's survival odds are slim, but not impossible; chances are, once we ID the unsub we'll find his records and place of residence, that should give us clues if not the girl herself."

"Why didn't you explain that to JJ?"

"She's your teammate, you tell me."

"Point taken."

"And before you say it's against the rules, I'm not part of the BAU." The team members exchanged uneasy glances, wondering how much she'd gleaned from them. But Faith's attention was already elsewhere. She'd fallen silent again as she bent over the map on the table, face expressionless, eyes serious.

Hotch didn't have to profile her to know that though Faith Lawe had been the one to suggest putting a little girl's life on the line to catch the unsub, she was far from the cold, heartless bitch everyone believed her to be. If anything, she was more worried than anyone else. He watched her soundlessly slip away into the shadows of the woods and followed her.

* * *

He caught up to her a little ways off from the town.

"I'm not sure I made the right decision."

"It was the only choice we had, I would've done the same," Hotch said neutrally. They came to a stop under the shade of a large tree and she leaned against the trunk, pensive.

"You and I both know that she might die, or already be dead, because of the press conference, but she will die for sure if he slips away again. It's why you made that judgment call in the first place."

"Maybe, but I don't have to like the fact that I've put the lives of two innocent children on the line," Faith replied grimly. She took the moment to observe the man in front of her from beneath her lashes and came to the conclusion that he was indeed an enigma: he hadn't hidden his dislike for her from the get-go, yet he was being sympathetic right now, which kind of seemed to go against his nature too.

"Aren't you hot? It's gotta be at least 100 degrees and you've been in that monkey suit ever since you got here." Though it was a rather abrupt change of subject, it didn't surprise Hotch in the least; Faith Lawe wasn't someone who liked to show any weakness. He didn't even deign to respond to that question and turned back to town.

* * *

Night had fallen and an uneasy peace had settled over the tiny town. Inside every home now was a plain-dressed state trooper or FBI agent from the local branch. Hotch and the others had hidden themselves strategically to cover two exits per team. And just for show, there was a state trooper squad car right outside of town. Rossi volunteered to partner Duvall, and Emily, Faith, and JJ took another SUV, and Reid was with Morgan while Hotch hid nearby. Everyone was sitting on pins and needles having to wait while a child's life hung in the balance.

"_Target confirmed, headed towards unit A."_

Emily and JJ sat a little straighter in their seats while Faith waited for the unsub's truck to pass them before pulling out after him, headlights off.

"He's heading towards the river," Emily reported through her phone. Faith said nothing and kept her eyes on the truck.

They had only one chance, Faith was _not_ going to waste it.

* * *

Hotch and the others, following Emily's instructions, found the other SUV and the unsub's truck fairly easily.

"We're about to hit a rural area," Reid informed them. Duvall sat, grim-faced, knowing that the case was now coming to an end, but perhaps not a happy end.

"We'll get him." They'd trailed him to a farmhouse just across the river when Duvall suddenly cursed, "That son of a bitch! The Jacksons bought this property a couple years ago, they rent the farmhouse out to tourists."

"That's how the unsub picked his first victim."

Hotch never took his eyes off the farmhouse, even when his phone lit up, "Garcia, what do you have?"

"Mark Peters, 32. His records are clean, not even a parking ticket. His last known address was…uh, this isn't right."

"Garcia?"

"He…the last known address was torn down and a shopping center was built on top of it. His father was a top plastic surgeon and his mother was the CEO of her family-owned, international shipping business."

"Busy people."

"Yeah, uh, his parents sent him to a prestigious boarding school when he was three and he only saw them once a year on his summer break. His parents were constantly traveling but it says here his mother committed suicide when he was 12, OD'ing on sleeping pills, says here the boy was in a coma when they found him. His father died a year later in a car accident."

"What car accident?"

"According to the reports, police suspect he fell asleep at the wheel and went off the side of the road into a lake, his body wasn't found until a fisherman saw the car in the lake 2 days later."

"Thanks, Garcia." Hotch tucked his phone back into his suit pocket.

"Those were his first victims. His parents."


End file.
